1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a retractable spotlights for motor vehicles and more specifically to such spotlights which are retractable from an operative position to a stowed position and which are rotatable about a vertical axis.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the manufacture and accessorization of emergency vehicles, such as police and fire vehicles, and certain service vehicles such as taxi cabs, it is often desirable to provide a spotlight for selectively illuminating objects not in the path of a standard vehicle headlight system. The most common scheme for providing flexibility in aiming such spotlights is achieved through shaft mounting a spotlight through the forward corner or A-pillar of the vehicle with access by a handle to the driver's seated position. Modern vehicle designs with their attention to minimizing vehicle weight and enhancing vehicle aerodynamics have specified A-pillar constructions which provide insufficient space for readily mounting such a structure. It is accordingly desirable that a searchlight design be provided which permits mounting a searchlight for flexible aiming in a vehicle position consistent with the vehicle's styling and design goals at a location other than the A-pillar.
It has been proposed to retractably mount a searchlight on the hood of a vehicle for actuation through an electric motor drive system. U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,050 to Trenkler is exemplary of such an approach. This approach fails to duplicate the fine manual control afforded by the earlier A-pillar mounted system and furthermore adds complication expense to provide the aiming function in its specification of the use of an electric drive motor.
It is also known to retractably mount lights on vehicle roofs to facilitate movement between a raised operative position and a lowered stowed position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,845 to Widhalm et al. illustrates such a mounting arrangement in which manual selection of lamp position from outside the vehicle is facilitated. This, of course, is an impractical control approach for use in emergency vehicles and is not an effective substitute for the previously available A-pillar spotlight systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,014 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,665, both to Rich, illustrate a motor driven arrangement for retracting lamps placed in a roof mounted spoiler. They, too, offer limited adjustment flexibility without manual control from the vehicle interior and undesirably necessitate the use of some motor driving system.
It is also known to provide a roof mounted spotlight that is both aimable in tipping relationship about a horizontal axis and rotatable about a vertical axis from U.S. Pat. No. 1,491,937 to Walker. Walker, however, provides no teaching of the manner in which this adjustment capability can be provided with movement between operative and stowed positions with respect to the vehicle roof. It also is lacking teaching on the transmittal of electrical power to the spotlight from the interior of the vehicle, suggesting nothing other than the provision of external wiring that necessarily limits the extent of its rotative movement about a vertical axis.